While a dog bite can happen anywhere in California, they often happen in the most familiar of places—someone’s home. That always brings up questions about insurance policies and coverage. Our California dog bite lawyers at Maison Law can help you figure out who’s responsible and how you can get financial help for your injuries. Set up a free consultation today.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Dog Bites in California?
When you’re bitten by a dog in California, the dog’s owner is “strictly liable” for the damage that you’re left with. That clears a major hurdle for most injury claims. But there’s still the question about the insurance company and their claims process.
When it comes to dog bites, they’re largely handled by homeowners insurance policies. This is because these policies typically cover instances of liability that happen at someone’s home or property.
From there, the claims process works in the same way that it does in a car accident or slip-and-fall. You get the policy information and file a claim. But that’s where the process falls into the hands of the insurance company, and that’s where a lot of the frustration comes in.
How Does a Dog Bite Claim Work?
Knowing who owns the dog that bit you in California, and then getting their homeowners insurance information is a huge step in getting financial help for your injuries. But to actually get it, you have to file a claim. After that, the insurance company is going to:
- Look over your claim form to get the basics of what happened.
- Examine the policy to see what it covers and how it applies to the dog bite.
- Review the evidence you provide.
- Talk with their own lawyers and adjusters to strategize.
If they accept your claim, they’ll offer you a settlement. And if you accept it, the claim ends. But the insurance company has a lot of leverage here, and that’s why they typically offer you much less than what you need in the hopes you’ll just accept it and move on. That might be fine if your injuries are minor, but a dog bite can leave you with pretty serious injuries that can last months—or even longer.
If that’s what you’re looking at, you can also file a personal injury lawsuit against the dog’s owner in civil court. That takes the decision-making power out of the insurance company’s hands and puts it into the hands of a judge and jury. It takes longer and requires a bit more effort, but it allows you to get fuller “damages” like:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost income or a loss of earning potential
- Repair/replacement costs for damaged property
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
There’s something important to understand: you only have two years from the date of the bite to file your claim. But outside of this time limit, what you’re able to recover is going to depend on the evidence you can show.
How Can I Strengthen My Dog Bite Claim?
A dog bite is extremely scary, no matter where it happens or even how familiar you are with the dog. But if you reach the point where you need to file a claim, it’s going to come down to the evidence. Here’s what can help your claim:
- Medical records and bills. From the ER visit to follow-up care, therapy, or prescriptions. These records usually become the backbone of a dog bite claim because they show exactly what your injuries are and connect them directly to the bite.
- Information about the dog and the owner. If you can, get the owner’s name and contact information. Insurance details help too. If the owner isn’t around, write down what you remember about the dog—its breed, size, color, or anything else that stands out.
- Pictures of the injury, the location where the bite happened, torn clothing, or even the dog itself can help show what the situation looked like at the time.
- Animal Control or local police reports. These can support your claim later, and they also sometimes include helpful details about the dog, the owner, and the dog’s vaccination history.
- Contact information from witnesses. If anyone saw what happened, try to get their name and phone number. A witness can sometimes help confirm how the bite occurred.
- Damaged things. Hold on to things that were damaged in the bite—torn clothing, a broken phone, glasses, or anything else. These items can become part of the claim and also help show how serious the incident was.
If you’re like a lot of people in this situation, you’re not thinking about this as you’re being attacked by the dog. That’s totally normal and you should always prioritize your health and safety first. From there, our team can help you through the whole claims process.
Maison Law Helps Dog Bite Victims in California
After a dog bite, many people wonder whether they should handle things on their own or talk with a lawyer. Sometimes, your injuries are minor and the situation resolves fairly quickly with the homeowners insurance policy.
But other times, medical bills start adding up, the insurance company pushes back, or the dog owner won’t cooperate with you. If that happens, Maison Law’s California dog bite team will be there to help you by:
- Reviewing the situation and explaining your options in plain language
- Helping gather evidence that shows how the bite occurred
- Looking into any homeowner’s insurance coverage that might apply
- Handling talks with the insurance company so you don’t have to
- Filing a lawsuit if that’s what it takes
A dog bite is always unfortunate, no matter where it happens. But when your injuries require further steps, our team will be there to help you through it. Set up a free consultation today.
